


Love, Beauty, Silence, Death

by sperrywink



Category: Bandom, Criminal Minds, Panic At The Disco
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-11
Updated: 2010-03-11
Packaged: 2017-10-07 21:45:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sperrywink/pseuds/sperrywink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A string of murders brings Panic at the Disco to the attention of the BAU. Reid forms a connection with Spencer Smith, but is it enough to keep the band safe?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love, Beauty, Silence, Death

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the fabulous and hard-working lj user=raveninthewind. All errors and inadequacies are mine.

Stretching, Reid slid his hands down his body. He had awakened before his alarm again and liked the leisurely feeling this gave to his morning. It would be better if he had someone to share it with, but that never seemed to work out for Reid. He had had a couple of dates with Karla and had managed a month with Devon, but both potential relationships had fallen apart. It had partly been due to the demands of his job, but Reid knew that wasn't the complete story, even though Karla and Devon had made it out to be that way. He just had never really connected with them the way Reid hoped to find with someone.

Stroking his cock into full hardness, Reid let thoughts of Karla's small, perfect breasts and Devon's strong thighs and thick cock fill his mind. His hand flew faster and faster as he let the images in his mind crystallize and flash quickly from one to another. He had time, but not really enough to be slow and sensual. This needed to be fast and hard. He slid his free hand up to his nipples and toyed with one and then the other, as his head tossed back and forth on the pillow. So good. The images in his mind moved from being specific to Karla and Devon, to being general images of skin, heat, and fucking. He imagined a hard body pressing down on top of him, blanketing him, and thrusting in him, and he came with a muffled moan against the pillow.

He lay there panting, letting his body come down from the high of orgasm, and reveled in the moment. He might be alone, but he still had his release. It might not be ideal, might not be exactly what he dreamed of, but it was still a delicious way to start the day. And all the images of death and debasement he saw everyday as part of his job, still hadn't managed to take the joy away from him.

His alarm buzzed and Reid turned it off with a groan. He rolled out of bed and ambled off to the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth. It didn't take him long to get ready for work. After his orgasm this morning, he was energized and ahead of schedule, so he was able to catch the earlier train, despite stopping for coffee.

He arrived into the office half an hour earlier than usual to a raised eyebrow from Hotch. Reid shrugged and said, "Just woke up early," and Hotch nodded before heading up to his office. Unpacking his satchel, Reid settled into his desk and turned on his computer, checking his e-mail.

Saying hello to Morgan and Emily as they came in, Reid went for a second cup of coffee after finishing his e-mail. Adding enough sugar to give Morgan hives, Reid went back to his desk just as Hotch stuck his head out of his office and said, "Meeting in five minutes. We have a new case."

Not bothering to sit down, Reid picked up a pen and a notebook and went to the round table room. The others followed. He straightened up in his chair as JJ entered the room and started handing out folders. With a small smile he took one, and then turned to listen as Rossi entered right behind her and started talking immediately. Rossi never was one for the niceties.

"So far there have been three victims: Heidi Cho from Washington, Catherine Fellows from California, and Amanda Matherson from Arizona. All have had their throats slit, with roses carved into their front torsos postmortem." Rossi clicked through pictures of the victims quickly, both candids from before they were abducted and autopsy pictures from after. He stopped on side by side "before" pictures of the three women, saying, "As you can see, there is no commonality in type. Two are brunette, one is blonde, two are Caucasian, one is Asian, two have long hair, one short, two were upper middle class, one was working class. About the only thing they had in common was that they were all young. They ranged in age from sixteen to twenty-two. Since these murders cross state lines and the local departments have scarce leads among the women's associates, we've been called in to provide a profile and hopefully target where the Unsub will strike next."

As everyone began looking through their folders, Morgan asked, "Are the bodies dumped or are they found where he attacks them?"

JJ answered, "They're dumped. The dump sites are secluded, out of the way spots. Unlikely to be discovered right away, but also unlikely to leave trace evidence. The bodies have also all been stripped before being dumped. There's no clothing or other evidence at the scene."

Emily asked, "Any sign of sexual assault?" She was looking at a "before" photograph of one of the victims, tracing the curve of hair. It was a startlingly intimate gesture. Reid couldn't help but watch the brush of fingertips over the photograph.

Brusquely, Rossi said, "None." Rossi was learning how to be a team player, but sometimes his old habit of keeping information close to his chest slipped through.

Giving herself a shake and putting down the photograph, Emily said, "So, possibly impotent or not a sexual sadist."

Emily met Reid's gaze, so Reid dropped his look to rifle through the papers inside his folder until he came upon a close up of a rose carving. The carving was of a mostly closed bloom, the lines bright red from the underlying muscle and tissue. Almost to himself, he asked, "Why a rose?"

In the silence that followed, he thought out loud. "The rose. Of the genus _Rosa_, within the family Rosaceae. The rose is generally a sign of love and beauty. It was sacred to a number of ancient goddesses, including Isis and Aphrodite, and is also used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. The Unsub could be claiming devotion to any number of them. It has also been an emblem of silence in some ancient cultures. Considering that the Unsub does silence the victims, it might be important."

Reid pushed the picture further from his face and took a second look at it. He could see the whole rose and the coloring of it. It looked almost pretty in a garish and grotesque way. He continued, "The way it's cut into the flesh, it most resembles a white rose with red edges, which has traditionally represented unity and togetherness."

Reid felt like he was coming out of a daze as he looked up and around the table to see if anyone else had thoughts about the roses. Garcia gave him a small, understanding smile, while Morgan was looking through his own folder. Rossi had switched the pictures on the screen to the postmortem shots, and along with Prentiss, was analyzing them. Prentiss said, "The Unsub could feel an affinity to the victims. Be taking out their own self-hatred on these women."

Hotch said, "If the Unsub identifies with these women, then we may be looking for a female Unsub."

Morgan said, "It could also be just a rose by any other name. The Unsub may still be male and just using it to signify his obsession as love for the victims."

Rossi said, "It's also significant to note that the roses have been getting more intricate and more numerous as the victims accumulate. He's building towards something."

Prentiss asked, "What's the time line between the murders?"

JJ answered, "The first body was discovered ten days ago, the second body a week ago, and the third four days ago. We lucked out and two of the jurisdictions sent the case files to us since the signature was so unusual, and we were able to link the cases together and discover the third."

Rossi said, "We need more information. The victims are our only lead. We'll split up, and each group will take a victim. I want to know everything about these woman and their lives leading up to their abductions and deaths. Morgan and Hotch, I want you to take Amanda Matherson, Reid and Prentiss, I want you to look into Catherine Fellows. And JJ and I will look into Heidi Cho. Garcia, I want you to check everything possible looking for a link between the victims. Let's get a move on, people."

* * *

 

Reid was the last to leave the conference room. His mind was still on the roses and what they meant historically and what they could mean in this instance. Emily was waiting impatiently by the door for him, tapping her folder against her arm. Still, she met him with a smile. "Do you have a bag packed? We're flying commercial since we're splitting up, and the flight JJ booked for us leaves in two hours."

Reid nodded and said, "Always."

Walking besides Reid back to the bullpen, Emily continued, "The folder says our victim was from the San Francisco area. Have you been since the arson case? The one where the suspect trapped the families and watched them die?"

Putting his folder down on his desk, Reid said, "No, that was the only time."

Emily put her folder down on her desk and leaned against it with her arms crossed. "We used to visit a lot when I was growing up. I used to love going to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli's Chocolates. The feeling just isn't the same since I've only been back because of cases. It's hard to feel the same sense of wonder."

"I guess. We haven't been to Las Vegas on a case, so I don't know what it's like going somewhere familiar on a case unless you count D.C. It was different for D.C. though, I've never felt nostalgic about it." Reid began packing his satchel, including the folder, some CDs, and the letter he was writing to his mother. Once that was all squared away, he reached under his desk for his backpack and said, "I'm ready to go."

Emily jumped a little and laughed. Picking up her pocketbook and folder, she said, "I'll drive. My bag is in the car." Reid nodded and followed Emily down to the car park.

The flight was uneventful. He and Emily didn't discuss the case on the crowded flight, but they did bandy theories around while driving to their hotel in San Francisco. They didn't reach any conclusions, but Reid liked talking out his thoughts and putting all the possibilities out there with Emily. She was always willing to think through any theory no matter how far-fetched.

Because of the time difference, it was still early enough local time that they contacted the victim's family. Making arrangements to go over that evening, they planned to talk with her family and to view her room which had remained unchanged since her death. According to the lead detective, the family, and in particular the mother, was taking it hard.

Reviewing the file on the way over, Reid read out loud to Emily. "Catherine Fellows was sixteen and a junior in high school. She had two younger brothers and lived at home. She was on the swim team, played in the band, and received average grades."

Emily interjected, "Any boyfriends?"

"According to her father, no, but there are no interviews with her peers here, so there may have been a secret one. We'll have to get the name of her best friend and see what she says."

Continuing, Reid said, "She had a clean record at school, her teachers liked her, as did the fellow students. She was a normal teenager."

Emily sighed as she turned into a driveway of a two-story Victorian home. "Average until her death, that is."

Reid looked at Emily, but she was getting out of the car. She didn't look back at him as she exited and strode purposefully around the front of the rental car. Maybe this case was hitting hard for her for some reason. Reid promised himself that he would keep an eye on her. He dropped the folder on the dashboard and got out of the car.

* * *

 

They rang the bell and readied their identification. A brown-haired, middle-aged man answered the door. He looked haggard, and Reid suddenly wished JJ was here to do the talking. Emily said, "Mr. Fellows? I'm Agent Emily Prentiss, and this Dr. Spencer Reid. We're with the FBI. We spoke on the phone?"

Mr. Fellows nodded and said, "Come in. My wife isn't home from work yet, but she should be in any minute."

Remembering some of the details from the file, Reid said, "You work from home, Mr. Fellows?"

"Yes. I'm a computer programmer for an overseas company. Most of my coworkers are like me and telecommute."

"So you were usually home when Catherine would have come home from school?"

Mr. Fellows appeared choked up, and it took him a couple seconds to answer. "Kitty. We called her Kitty. And, yes, I'm here when the children come home from school. My telecommuting was one of the reasons Delores was able to go back to work full-time."

In a compassionate voice, Emily said, "What can you tell us about the last day you saw her?"

"She had an early swim practice, so I drove her to school that morning. We argued about going to that damn concert. I again said she couldn't go, and she was so mad about that." Here Mr. Fellows paused as he remembered. His face was ravaged. He ran his hand across his eyes and heaved a big breath before continuing. "She said she had band practice after school and would be home late. That's the last words she said to me. I'll be home late."

Emily rested her hand on Mr. Fellows arm. "I'm sure she knew you loved her."

Mr. Fellows sobbed slightly, taking a minute to get himself under control. He said, "Let me show you her room." After exchanging a look, Reid and Emily followed Mr. Fellows up the stairs and into a bedroom off to the right. Mr. Fellows waved them into the room and said, "I'll leave you to it, then." He then stumbled back down the stairs. Reid watched him go. He was all hunched, shaking shoulders and leaden feet. Reid was glad Emily had consoled the father; he had been tongue-tied there for a minute.

The room seemed to be a typical teenage girl affair. There was a frilly pink bedspread on the twin bed, which was neatly made. Reid wondered if Kitty had left it that way, or if her family had straightened it after she was gone. There were white, painted furniture consisting of a dresser, nightstand, bookcase, and desk. Band posters adorned the walls: Fall Out Boy; Rihanna; Panic At the Disco; Gym Class Heroes; Maroon 5.

Emily immediately went to the dresser and the mirror above it which was adorned with photos in the frame. She said, "A lot of pictures of her and her friends. At the beach and at school. Some boys, but always in groups." Emily lifted her hand as if to touch the photos, but ended up dropping it back down. She began opening the drawers.

Reid went to the nightstand and opened the little drawer. He shifted the assorted hair ties, pictures, sparkly pens, and other paraphernalia. He then felt under the pillow and mattress, finding nothing. "No diary, at least not in the obvious places. Maybe she had an online journal." He went to the desk and turned on the laptop computer. The computer wasn't password-protected, so it dropped Reid right onto her desktop, which showed another band picture. He murmured, "She really liked music." as he began clicking through her hard-drive and Internet history.

"Aha! Here we go. She had a MySpace." Emily came over and leaned down to read over his shoulder. She said, "When is this entry from?"

"The day before she went missing." They read in silence as Emily talked about school and her best friend Lily. She also mentioned planning on confronting her dad again about the Panic concert.

Reid said, "It agrees with the father's statement."

Emily nodded. Reid could feel her hair brushing against his ear. "We need to talk to Lily. I don't think we'll get more out of her room."

Reid said, "Okay. Let me just pack up the computer so we can send it to Garcia. We'll see what she can uncover from the blog history and chat logs."

Reid unplugged the computer and wrapped the cord up. They went back downstairs finding both parents in the living room. Mr. Fellows had his arm around his wife who was crying quietly. Reid coughed and said, "I'll need to take this for analysis by our computer technician."

Mr. Fellows nodded.

Emily said, "Did either of you know a Lily?"

Mrs. Fellows said, "Yes, she was Kitty's best friend. They did everything together."

Emily said, "We'd like to talk to her if possible."

Mrs. Fellows said, "That's fine. I'll give you her number."

Sitting down across from her, Reid asked, "What was the last thing you talked about with your daughter, Mrs. Fellows?"

"We just discussed her homework. She was terrible at science. Could never remember the formulas. We talked about using index cards to study."

Emily asked, "When was this?"

"The night before she was gone. She and Dan left before I woke up the next morning. And then she was just gone."

Reid watched as Mr. Fellows leaned in to comfort his wife, who had begun crying again. Reid said, "Thank you both for helping us. We can't express how invaluable it will be in helping to find the perpetrator. I know it's been hard reliving this."

Mrs. Fellows said, "Let me get that phone number for you," and hurried from the room.

Reid and Emily stood awkwardly with the father, who was looking out the window in retrospection. He jumped when his wife came back holding out a small card. Emily took the card, and they said their good-byes. Only Mr. Fellows saw them to the door.

* * *

 

The sun had already set and it was too late to follow up with either the best friend or the police station, so they headed back to their hotel. They ate dinner and then Emily checked in with Rossi, letting him know their progress. Everyone was in the middle of their investigation, so it was a short update, waiting on the complete picture they would piece together.

After the call to Rossi, Reid returned to his room. He was restless. The faces of the victim's parents kept floating through his mind, keeping him from retiring. He usually didn't have trouble distancing himself from work, but this case seemed different. The roses carved into the bodies were so intricate and grotesque. He'd seen worse, but not something that was supposed to be beautiful made out of something so ugly. He thought Emily might be feeling the same way. She seemed distracted through dinner and not her usual self.

The computer was packed up for shipping to Garcia, but he still had his copy of the three case files, so Reid delved back into them, looking for connections between the victims with the new information he'd gathered about Kitty Fellows. It was a wonder how a life could be distilled into an assortment of random statements. She liked music. She swam. She had a best friend named Lily. She was loved. She would be missed. Reid shook his head. He really was getting maudlin, and that wouldn't help him find Kitty's killer. He turned back to the rose carving. There are a lot of significances to roses that Reid had deliberately not mentioned to the group. Things that seemed far-fetched and unrelated. That White Rose was a World War II nonviolent resistance group in Germany. The Rose-Cross as a symbol for the Rosicrucian. The red rose of Lancaster, and the white rose of York, from the Wars of the Roses period. Countless associations, really. What was the important association for the Unsub? Was it one of the classical associations, love, beauty, or silence, as they had surmised together?

Reid dwelled on it late into the night, but ended up just thinking in circles, finally stumbling off to bed sometime after midnight. He knew he should have gone to bed earlier; they would have another busy day tomorrow, but he couldn't be too upset. Sometimes this was what the job demanded.

The next morning he and Emily called Lily and arranged to meet that afternoon after school let out. They then headed over to the San Francisco Police Department to meet with the lead detective. It was a Detective Martin, not someone that they had worked with before.

When they reached the police station, this time Reid stepped forward to introduce them. "Detective Martin? I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, and this is Special Agent Emily Prentiss. We spoke on the phone?"

Detective Martin said, "Call me Tim. I'm glad you guys are here. This has been a perplexing case from the start. We weren't surprised when it turned into a multiple."

Emily asked, "How so?"

"We don't get many carved bodies in here, Agent Prentiss. Plus, the way the body was dumped with so little evidence or association with her known behavior just led to the suspicion that it was a stranger."

Reid asked, "What can you tell us about the dump site?"

"It's right downtown, behind an abandoned construction site near an area filled with bars and clubs."

Emily said, "Wait. Near clubs? Where bands play?"

Tim said, "I guess."

Reid shared a look with Emily. Maybe the location hadn't been as out of Kitty's normal behavior as the detective suspected.

Tim looked between them and asked, "What?"

Reid said, "She was really into music and wanted to see Panic at the Disco the night she disappeared. Her parents said no. We'll have to discover where they played that night."

Emily said, "I'll get on that if you review the case file."

Reid nodded, and they split up. Reid followed Tim into the bullpen and sat down at his desk. He began flipping through the documents quickly. Luckily, they were typed, so they were easy to read.

Tim said, "Can you actually read that fast?"

"Yes. The unconscious mind can process eleven million bits of information per second."

Tim just shook his head and said, "I'm going to get some coffee. Want one?"

Reid said, "Yes, please," and continued reading. The files revealed nothing new, unfortunately. As they drank their coffee and waited for Emily to return, Reid quizzed Tim on what he had discovered, but that revealed nothing new either. They did make plans to visit the dump site after lunch, though. Reid had learned from Gideon and Morgan that it was always best to get a feel for the perpetrator's head by visiting where they had been and plotting out their steps. Since Morgan wasn't here to do it, it would be up to Emily and him.

Emily finally returned with their computers, and said, "The Panic at the Disco concert was at the Warfield on the night in question."

Tim said, "That's in the right area."

Emily said, "She may have been sneaking out to go to the concert. We definitely need to talk to Lily now."

Reid said, "Since she won't be available until later this afternoon., Tim has agreed to take us to the dump site in the meantime."

Emily nodded and clenched her hands into fists. She seemed jittery, and Reid didn't know how well she would make it through the inactivity of lunch.

As Reid suspected, lunch was a tense affair. Emily barely said a word, so it was up to him and Tim to maintain the conversation. After they brought Emily up to speed on the case file, there really wasn't much more to say about the case, so they moved to baseball, which was Tim's favorite sport. Reid knew some stats for the game, which was enough to make Tim happy and keep him talking.

Afterwards, they drove out to the dump site. Emily practically jumped out of the car before it stopped because she was so eager to get back to the case. Reid and Tim followed more slowly. Emily was standing, turning slowly in a circle, analyzing the surroundings. She said, "Even during the day, there's no one here."

Tim said, "Yeah, like I said. There's not much activity around the construction site itself."

Emily mused, "Did the Unsub know it, or did he just happen upon it by chance?"

Tim pointed toward a particular spot, hidden by a large garbage receptacle. "The body was found here by the sanitation crew. She was laid out naked with her hands cupped around the roses."

Reid said, "So he took the time to lay the body out. Remorse, maybe?"

Emily said, "Maybe. Or maybe part of the presentation of the roses. "

Nodding, Reid crouched down by the garbage receptacle. He was hidden by the shadows and the corner of the building. "The body was also hidden from view. Was this to keep it from discovery or part of the presentation again? The Unsub wouldn't want the body too decomposed, or else it would lose the details of the rose. Unless the rose was for him and not us." Looking at Tim, he asked, "Is the sanitation schedule regular? Were the crew expected?"

Tim said, "Yeah. Our ME pinned time of death as less than six hours earlier. The crew comes once a week. It was their regular day. The Unsub could have planned the timing."

Emily said, "I think the rose has to be for us. Otherwise, it wouldn't be presented so distinctly. We'll have to find out if the other victims were laid out the same way." She looked around again with a frustrated look on her face.

Reid checked his watch. He said, "We should be heading back if we're going to be on time to meet the best friend. I don't think there is anything more we can learn here."

* * *

 

Lily was a four foot nothing blonde, and Reid felt like a giant next to her. She was still in her private school uniform and bounced her knee nervously.

Her parents had agreed to the talk, but insisted it take place in their house. It was another two-story Victorian, a couple of blocks from the Fellows house.

Luckily, they were offered seats, and Reid didn't feel like he was looming so much. Emily leaned forward and said, "We hate to bring up bad memories, Lily, but what you may know is important in catching Kitty's killer."

Lily bit her lip and nodded. She said, "Whatever you need. I want him to pay for what he did to her. She was such a good person, you know? She didn't deserve to die like that."

Reid said, "We saw from Lily's room that she really liked music, particularly Panic at the Disco."

Lily cocked her head to the side and questioningly said, "Yeah?"

He said, "We know her parents had said she couldn't go to their concert, but we suspect she might have gone anyway. Do you know anything abut that?"

Lily blushed and looked guilty. She shot a quick glance toward the kitchen where her parents waited. Emily said, "It really is important. We know it seems trivial, and like we're trying to get you in trouble, but that's not why we're asking."

Taking a deep breath Lily said, "We were both told we couldn't go because it was a school night the first night, and Kitty had a swim meet that Saturday. We decided that we would go anyway, saying we were studying at each other's house, but Kitty never showed. We go to different schools, and Kitty never met me. I thought she had gotten caught. When she gets grounded, her parents take away her phone so she can't call me. Usually she borrows our friend Nadia's phone at school the next day to talk to me.

I didn't go to the concert because I didn't want to go alone. I didn't think anything of it until Mrs. Fellows called so frantic later that night." Lily wiped tears away from her eyes.

Emily asked, "When was the last time you talked to her?"

Lily said, "We talked that morning before school. She called me when she was done with swim practice. That's when we firmed up our plans to meet that evening."

Reid said, "Where were you going to meet?"

Lily said, "I have a car, so I was going to pick her up about a mile from her school at the pizza parlor."

Emily leaned forward and took Lily's hands in hers. She said, "You've been a great help, Lily. We'll do everything we can to find Kitty's killer."

Lily sniffled and said, "Are you sure I was helpful?"

Reid said, "We promise."

She smiled tearily at him and he smiled back.

In the car driving back to their hotel, Reid said, "So she planned to go to the concert, but never made it, at least according to Lily."

Emily said, "I think it's still the key."

Reid said, "We'll see when we hear what the others discovered."

After calling Rossi with their findings and suspicions, Reid and Emily packed in preparation for heading home. As they waited in the airport terminal, Reid fidgeted, making coins appear and disappear, until Emily put her hand over his and said, "Stop that."

Looking around and seeing that they were mostly alone, Reid replied, "Are you okay? You seem a little distracted."

Emily removed her hand from his and clasped both her hands together in front of her. "It's just this case, you know? First another case in San Francisco, and then these girls. Growing up, I could have been one of them. Except I was on the debate team and loved music."

Reid said, "But it's not you. It's not good if you get wrapped up in identifying with the victim."

Emily straightened up and ran a hand through her hair. "I know. I'll get over it."

Reid nodded, but had his doubts. There were always cases that didn't leave you and wrapped around your heart, and it looked like this was Emily's. Deciding it would be prudent to change the topic, Reid said, "So I've seen the pictures of you as a teenager, I doubt you were into popular music like Kitty was."

Emily laughed lightly. "Only when I grew older. When I was really young, I loved what everyone else loved. My first concert was Duran Duran when I was thirteen. God, I was in love with Simon Le Bon." Emily had a fond smile on her face as she remembered the past, but then she seemed to remember Reid was there and she said, "And if you tell anyone, I'll kill you ."

Reid couldn't stop himself from laughing, and Emily punched him lightly in the arm. But she was smiling.

* * *

 

Taking a red-eye back to D.C., Reid and Emily were the first to arrive back, so they had time to shower and change. Afterwards, they met back at the office, dropping freshly packed bags at their desks. Once settled, they grabbed cups of coffee, and started working on their reports as Rossi and JJ arrived straight from the airport from their flight from Washington. JJ looked harried, but Rossi looked determined as he strode into his office. JJ stopped to exchange pleasantries and just rolled her eyes when asked how the trip with Rossi had gone.

Reid finished his preliminary report in record time and with still at least an hour until Morgan and Hotch got back from Arizona, he decided to research Panic at the Disco. He clicked to their official website where flowers and a butterfly floated down the screen, and he raised his eyebrows. He clicked a link to the Honda Civic Tour website and almost laughed out loud at the flower-bedecked car they had designed. He found a picture of their latest album with flowers around the border, including a large rose. Flowers were everywhere, and it wasn't hard to see how the Unsub could connect them to the band.

The band itself looked young and carefree. There was Brendon Urie, who looked guiless and happy, Ryan Ross, who was wearing green-striped pants that caused even Reid, with his quirky style, to raise his eyebrows, Jon Walker, who looked like a scruffy college student, and finally there was Spencer Smith, who looked like the hottest TA Reid had ever had.

Reid had a pang of remorse for them. There was a good chance their lives were just about to be turned upside down, and they had no clue yet. While listening to their albums, he clicked through more picture galleries and memorized their touring schedule as he waited for the group to gather.

Finally, Morgan and Hotch arrived and everyone crowded into the round table room. Reid took a seat and turned to Rossi as he began speaking. "So all of us found evidence of the victims being fans of this music group, but only one body was found in a suspect place. Plus, the first body wasn't even a place they've toured yet."

Emily said, "The first body could have been the trial run. The Unsub could be from Washington. The roses have gotten more intricate on the later victims. We could be watching his evolution."

Morgan said, "We need to check the other jurisdictions where they've toured. See if there are any more victims that haven't been identified yet. That'll either prove the theory, or put it in question."

JJ stood up, stretching slightly. She had changed and was dressed as sharply as always, but her eyes were still tired. Rossi was always a challenge to deal with, and she'd had him all to herself for two days. "I'll go coordinate that with Garcia," Hotch nodded, and she left the room.

Leaning back in his chair, Hotch said, "Even if it is associated with this band, that still doesn't answer the question of the roses."

Reid said, "Well, I've done some research on the band, and their current tour and record have a   
flower theme. They even painted a car over with flowers as a giveaway."

Rossi said, "But is it enough of a connection to be the key element for this Unsub?"

Morgan said, "There's no way of determining what will stick in the Unsub's mind at this stage. I think the real question is who's the target? Are the victims the real targets, or are they a message to the band?"

Hotch said, "You think the band could be in danger?"

Morgan continued, "Well, if this is an obsessed fan, the victims may be a prelude to what the Unsub really wants, which is contact, possibly violent contact, with the band."

Silence descended and Reid thought back to Lila Archer and what obsessed fans were capable of. Shaking off his thoughts, Reid said, "Still, right now, we just have the victims to worry about. Do you think we should warn the rest of the jurisdictions on the tour about possible victims?"

Rossi said, "Not until we confirm the connection. I'm still not convinced this is the key. We need to sift through the rest of the evidence and make sure we aren't overlooking another connection in our haste to pinpoint this one. I want everyone to switch victims and review the case notes of the other two to see if anything connects to the victim they investigated."

Morgan said, "There go my evening's plans," but he didn't look upset.

Rossi snorted and left them in the round table room.

Hotch started passing out copies of everyone's reports, and everyone dove in. Reid read through the reports quickly and then began making charts on the whiteboard. The others shouted out answers as he created categories: Age, place of birth, physical characteristics, hobbies, anything they could match up. As it got later, they ordered in Chinese food and kept working.

Soon the whiteboard was covered in information, and Reid took a step back so he could process it all. He let his eyes scan everything, letting his mind wander to see if anything struck him as odd or if anything stood out. The others were doing the same. Emily said, "Besides the Panic at the Disco connection, these women had nothing in common."

Morgan said, "To play devil's advocate, they had nothing in common that we know of. Doesn't   
mean they don't have another connection that the Unsub sees."

Just then JJ came striding back into the conference room. She said, "We have another one, guys. This time in Houston. Just happened yesterday after last night's show."

Hotch said, "I don't think we can ignore the band connection any more. Morgan and Prentiss, why don't you go to Houston and look into the latest victim. See if you can get anything new from the fresh crime scene. The rest of us will join the band and see what we can determine from the tour. You'll join us there when you're done. Where is the tour right now?"

Reid said, "They play in Clearwater, Florida, tomorrow night."

As he gathered and sorted all their files to be packed and taken with them, Reid thought about the pictures of the band he had seen. Four young guys in tight pants who played music. Just like Lila, they would be ill-prepared for the realities of his job. Reid was glad JJ would be along to sooth ruffled feathers and pave the way. He hoped they were more willing to understand the danger they might be in than Lila was.

Catching a ride to the airport with Hotch, Reid settled into the SUV with a sigh. He hoped they stopped for coffee. He hadn't had time to fill his mug back at the office. Hotch said, "Prentiss seems to be taking this case to heart."

Reid paused. He had his concerns about Emily's lack of distance in this case, but he didn't feel comfortable talking about it behind her back. On the other hand, maybe if he had spoken up about Elle's troubles, she would still be here. Cautiously he said, "She does. She said she was into music as a kid; that the victims reminded her of her youth."

Hotch said, "I think this case reminds all of us of our youth. School, concerts, friends, all that nostalgia."

Reid knew Hotch would know that that didn't describe his youth at all. To change the topic and because he was curious, he asked, "Did you go to a lot of concerts when you were a kid?"

"Not a lot, but a fair amount. More so when I was in college."

"What was your first concert?"

"Bruce Springsteen. He was amazing. My mother was so displeased. She thought he was too lower class, but he's my favorite still to this day." Hotch drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He made a left turn and moved to the right-hand lane. "Back to Emily. Do you think she can handle the case?"

Biting his lip, Reid looked out the window. He didn't know what he thought about Emily's situation. On the other hand, Emily wasn't Elle; she was a much stronger person. Making his decision, he said, "I think she can. She's not a loose cannon or anything."

Nodding, Hotch pulled into a Starbucks parking lot. He said, "Okay, good enough for me. Let's get some coffee."

 

* * *

 

Despite stopping for coffee, Reid and Hotch were still the first to arrive at the air strip. Hotch was a cautious driver, but he knew the best shortcuts around traffic to the air field.

After everyone had settled in and the plane was in the air, Rossi called them together. He said, "Okay, everyone, let's review what we've got. JJ, let's start with the faxed report from the latest murder."

JJ said, "You all have copies in your folders. This time there were three roses carved along her right breast. The Unsub is getting more elaborate. She's nineteen, was a college student at a local community college, and was found with a Panic at the Disco concert ticket in her pocket. She never made it to the show."

As he flipped through the report, Reid asked, "No sign of sexual trauma?"

JJ shook her head. "No, like the other victims, there were no overt signs. They're still waiting for the rape kit results. Interestingly, this is the first victim to have defensive wounds."

Rossi asked, "I know you guys worked up victimology on the other three victims last night. Anything new?"

Reid shook his head and said, "Our strongest connection between the victims is still the band. Speaking of which, do they know we're coming?"

Hotch said, "I spoke with their management this morning. I told them there was a possible stalking incident and that we were coming down to brief everybody and to investigate further. They were very receptive and open. I don't think we will get interference from them."

That wasn't what Reid had been driving at, he had just wondered if they had been forewarned, but it was still good to know.

JJ said, "You know we've been so focused on the victimology, we haven't worked up a decent profile yet, including whether it is one of the people on the tour. We might be spooking the Unsub by coming en masse like this."

Hotch said, "I don't think it will be so easy with an organized killer like this. I rather suspect the Unsub might go underground until the investigation passes."

Rossi asked, "So what is our preliminary profile?"

Hotch said, "The lack of evidence at the scenes and overall lack of defensive wounds says this killer is organized, detail-oriented, experienced. These probably aren't their first murders, just the first linked together. Despite the band attracting younger fans, because of the control of the girls and the lack of fight on their part as well as the experience showed in the throat-slitting, I'd say the Unsub is a man in his late twenties to early thirties."

JJ said, "The defensive wounds on the last victim may mean the Unsub is devolving. The frequency of the murders picking up also indicates this. We're definitely on the clock whether the Unsub knows we are coming or not."

Reid said, "The intricate rose designs may be a message to us or to the band. Until we know who the message is for, we won't be able tell whether the Unsub is an obsessed fan or just using the band as a way to target women in their preferred physical range. It also shows patience. I agree with Hotch. This isn't a nervous first-time killer. The Unsub is experienced and knows how much time to take without being discovered."

JJ said, "The killer is confident and self-assured. There is no hesitation in the knife marks carving out the roses."

Rossi wrote some notes in his little notebook. Reid hated feeling like he was back in front of a teacher and was being graded, but he didn't say anything. His eyes met JJ's across the way, and she smiled slightly at him. He smiled back.

Just then the captain announced that they would be landing and everyone scrambled to get in their seats and buckled in.

* * *

 

Two SUVs were waiting for them at the air strip as well as two agents, Morrow and Fielding, from the local office, which was the Pinellas Resident Agency.

They briefed them on the way to the venue where the band was waiting and discussed the logistics of letting local law enforcement know. JJ advocated including local law enforcement, which Hotch and Rossi agreed with, so once they arrived at the venue, Fielding left to brief the local sheriff and his department.

Reid looked around the Ruth Eckerd Hall as they approached. There were buses parked in front and in back where they pulled in. They were stopped by security, but once Hotch showed his badge, they were waved through.

There was a bus all decked out in flower designs, and Hotch nodded toward it, as JJ said, "Well, I guess we're in the right place."

Instead of being led to the flower bus, they were led to a small room in the back of the venue. There were five people in the room; Reid recognized four of them as the band members. The fifth stepped forward and said, "Hi, I'm Zach, I head the band's security. These guys are Ryan, Brendon, Spencer, and Jon."

Hotch stepped forward and said, "I'm Special Agent Hotchner, these are Special Agents Jareau, Morrow, and Rossi, and Dr. Reid. All the band members were ridiculously good looking in person, but Spencer in particular was the hottest person Reid had seen in a long time. They shook hands all around and then settled back into their separate sides of the room. Reid made sure he didn't linger when shaking Spencer's hand.

Hotch said, "I'm sorry I couldn't be more forthcoming over the phone. We have some questions we'd like to start out with. Have there been any death threats made against any member of the band?"

The band members all exchanged looks, mostly incredulous, but no one said anything. Finally Zach, looking embarrassed, said, "Nothing the label took seriously. Just your average "I'm going to kick your faggot asses" nonsense."

Hotch raised an eyebrow at the slur, but didn't interrupt Zach. When Zach finished, he asked, "What about the opposite, any letters professing their love?"

Brendon snorted. Everyone looked at him, and he looked around a little wildly before saying, "We're a band adored by teenage girls. We get love letters every day."

Reid said, "These would stand out. They would imply a certain bond or connection between the two of you and that you felt it too."

The band exchanged looks again, with added eyebrows raised and head shakes, before, Ryan said, "No, no one received anything like that, unless the label withheld it?"

Zach shook his head. Ryan leaned forward, "Do you know something we don't know about a threat?"

Hotch said, "Just a couple more questions, and I'll explain our presence. Your tour has a flower theme; do roses have any particular significance to any of you?"

Zach looked clueless, but the band again did that hive-mind thing. Ryan was the spokesperson again. "We don't think so. I mean, last tour I had a vest with roses on it, but there's no special significance to it."

JJ said, "Do you have pictures of this vest?"

Spencer was the one who snorted this time. He said, "Just Google "rose vest and Ryan Ross" and you'll have a ton of pictures of the crazy thing."

JJ said, "This really is important."

Brendon said, "What's going on? Are we in danger? Is Ryan in danger because of his vest? That makes no sense."

Hotch said, "There's been a series of murders of fans of yours, usually of women attending this tour. They have all had roses carved into their chests. We're not sure if the victims are the targets or whether they are just a message to one of you."

Dead silence descended on the group as everyone stared at Hotch in shock. Finally, Jon said, "Holy shit. You've got to be kidding me." He looked stunned and scared as did the rest of the band. Reid was glad they were all sitting down because they looked unsteady.

The group and Zach then exploded with questions, no one person understandable in the din. Hotch waved his hands, trying to calm everyone down, but the band were now standing and talking over each other and to each other, and Hotch couldn't get their attention. Finally he yelled, "Okay! Okay! One at a time!"

Silence again descended until finally Brendon stepped forward and asked, "Our fans are being killed? How many are we talking about here?"

Rossi said, "Four known victims."

Spencer said, "Four-! We have to warn our fans."

Hotch said, "We don't have enough information yet to reveal to the press. We just have the connection, no way of tracking the Unsub or discovering who he is. We don't want him to go underground only to resume killing once we are off the scent."

Brendon asked, "Unsub?"

JJ replied, "Unknown Subject," and Brendon nodded his understanding.

As a whole, the band looked recalcitrant, but agreed grudgingly to not go to the press just yet. Jon said, "What can we do to protect our fans then?"

Hotch said, "You can give a general warning about being safe and not approaching strangers, even if they say they are a fan."

Spencer said, "Is that going to be enough?"

Hotch said, "It's just a temporary measure until we discover more about how this Unsub is operating."

Spencer nodded his agreement and the other band members seemed to look to him for their reactions to the news.

Changing the topic, Rossi said, "Do you have any enemies? Someone who would want to hurt you or this tour?"

Just as Brendon said, "Nobody," Ryan said, "Gerard Way."

Spencer snorted again. "Gerard Way isn't our enemy, Ryan. No matter what asinine things he says." Reid could see the tension leave Spencer's shoulders and wondered at the relationship between Ryan and Spencer.

Ryan crossed his arms and said, "He's artistic. They said the killer was drawing roses."

Spencer said, "Gerard Way is not some psycho killer, Ryan!" The whole band was more relaxed now, and Reid felt like he was missing the joke.

Rossi asked, "Who's Gerard Way?"

Brendon said, "He's the lead singer of My Chemical Romance. He made fun of our album title in a concert of theirs. Ryan won't let it go. Spencer's right. He's not our enemy. We don't have any enemies like that. We're fairly easygoing guys. Everyone loves us."

Dryly, Rossi said, "Except Gerard Way."

Brendon made a face but sat down, biting his lip.

Jon asked, "Are you sure these murders relate to us? Maybe it's a coincidence?"

Reid decided to speak up here. He said, "We're pretty positive. I'm sorry." Jon nodded and leaned back into Brendon.

Hotch said, "We'd like to interview everyone on the tour who's been traveling with you, if you don't mind. See if they've seen anything suspicious."

Zach said, "Whatever we can do to help, just let us know."

Jon said, "Should we continue with the tour?" The band looked at each other with horror on their faces. They were remarkably transparent for public figures.

Rossi said, "You should continue just as you've been doing. Right now, having the tour as a focus is still our best chance of catching this guy."

Hotch said, "We'd like to start with talking to each of you individually to see if you've noticed anything out of the ordinary."

The band nodded, a bit nervously on Brendon's part, but he didn't say anything. Hotch continued, saying, "I'll take Ryan, JJ will take Brendon, Rossi will take Jon, Reid will take Spencer, and Morrow will take Zach." Hotch must have noticed Brendon's nervousness, too. JJ was the best at handling people and would be the most considerate of his feelings.

The band split up as did the group from the BAU, reforming into the pairs specified by Hotch. Reid met with the other Spencer in the corner of the room by the couch. He held out his hand again and said, "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid. We weren't formally introduced earlier."

Spencer gave a quick, light laugh. "Another Spencer, huh?"

Reid nodded. He said, "It is now number one hundred and thirty-six in popularity on the Social Security's list of babies' names." He then waved his hand and said, "Is there anywhere we could go for privacy?"

Spencer led him to an unused room a couple doors down. Reid's eyes were drawn down to his hips, which were clad in tight jeans. He blushed lightly. He couldn't believe his mind had strayed from the case like that. Apparently it really had been a long time since his last relationship, if he could get distracted that easily. Spencer was very attractive, but Reid worked with attractive people and he never let it get in the way of the job.

When they reached the room, Spencer faced him with arms crossed defensively and a frown on his face. Before Reid could gather his wits and begin asking questions, Spencer asked, "Are you sure we should continue the tour? Should we at least give our fans a better warning?"

Shaking off his lingering feelings of attraction, Reid said, "We don't know what to warn them about yet. We don't know how he targets these women in particular or how he isolates them. It really is for the best to continue as you have been doing for the time being. Trust us; we'll let you know as soon as possible when a change is called for. We're just as concerned about your fans as you are."

Spencer didn't look entirely convinced, but he shrugged his agreement. "You had some questions for me?"

"Has anyone approached you that made you uneasy, that seemed overly interested in meeting one of the other guys or overly friendly to you?"

Spencer snorted. "Just every day. But they're usually young girls, which I'm guessing aren't who you're looking for."

Probably not. This would be a man, say mid-twenties to thirties, confident, intense."

Spencer shook his head slowly. "Nobody comes to mind."

"Have you noticed anyone following the tour? Familiar faces from city to city?"

With frustration in his voice, Spencer answered, "Again, that happens all the time. But I just remember fans, nobody suspicious."

Surprised, Reid asked, "Fans really follow you from city to city?"

"Of course. You know, we're not just some, fly-by-night band. We have hardcore fans and a lot of them."

"I wasn't implying anything. I just didn't know people did that in real life. I've never done that. I've never had the time to do that. Actually, I've never been to a concert before." After he said it, Reid felt silly for revealing such a trivial lack in his life, but he couldn't seem to keep on point with Spencer.

Spencer didn't seem upset by the change in topic; he seemed honestly astounded by Reid's news. "You've never been to a concert? I didn't know there were people like that in real life. I went to my first concert when I was still a kid. Granted it was the Backstreet Boys, but still."

Reid shrugged. He didn't know how to explain how he had been graduating high school at twelve and then college and grad school had consumed his life in the years that followed. He'd been to some jazz clubs with Ethan, but that was the extent of his music social life. By the time he had joined the BAU, his habits had been set, and going to concerts wasn't a part of it. He offered, "I've been to jazz clubs."

Almost diffidently, Spencer said, "That's cool, I guess. You should stay and watch us play." His eyes were kind and he smiled encouragingly at Reid. Reid was charmed all over again and cursed the rush of heat that rushed it's way up his body.

He said, "I'd like that. I listened to your new album and liked it a lot. Particularly the harpsichord on "She Had the World.""

Spencer's smile brightened, and Reid could feel his blush creep further up his face. He couldn't look away from Spencer's shining eyes, and he knew he was smiling back stupidly, but he couldn't control his face. Spencer's smile grew knowing, and he said, "I'm glad you listened to our record."

"I like to get as much background information as possible on a case."

"That's right. We're just a case to you."

"It's never just a case." Spencer gave him a searching look, and Reid was helpless under the power of it. He felt like everything he had ever been through because of a case was all over his face. His drug addiction, Gideon's leaving, all the death he'd seen. He didn't know what it was about Spencer, but he felt exposed and revealed when Spencer looked at him a certain way.

Finally, Spencer nodded slightly and bit his lip. He said, "I can't imagine. This is bad enough. I don't know how you do this every day."

This time it was Reid's turn to shrug. He couldn't explain what his job meant to him. Even all the bad that came from it was worth it because of all the good they did. Plus, figuring out the puzzles of the profile and victimology called to him. He loved trying to piece together the personalities and characteristics that went into each case. "I can't imagine doing anything else."

"That feeling I know. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't play."

They smiled at each other again and Reid again had that feeling of time dilating and expanding as they just stood there looking at each other.

A cough interrupted them, and they both gave a slight jump as they turned toward Hotch in the doorway. Hotch said, "Are you done, Reid?"

Reid coughed to cover his embarrassment and in a still husky voice said, "Yeah, yeah. We're done here." He looked back at Spencer and nodded at him, avoiding his eyes lest he be caught again and said, "Thanks for all your help."

In a much more regulated voice than Reid's, Spencer said, "Anything I can do to help, just let me know. Also, I meant that, about the concert," he said with a look at Reid.

Reid bit his lip and glanced quickly at Hotch, who luckily had turned away to talk to JJ. He quickly turned back to Spencer and said, "Thanks. I'll certainly try." He met Spencer's eyes, which crinkled as Spencer smiled back at him, and then Reid walked hurriedly after Hotch and put his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking.

The team met together in a second empty room. JJ looked harried again. She said, "We're already too late. There's been a murder already. The local sheriff was unimpressed that our help came too late. Still, they're holding the scene for us. Fielding is there already."

Rossi said, "Reid and I will investigate the new scene. Hotch and JJ, you stay here, see what you can discover."

JJ said, "I'll start preparing for the media barrage. I don't think this will stay quiet much longer. Too many people know now, but I'll see if I can get them to hold off for twenty-four or forty-eight hours. The local sheriff sent a car. It'll escort you to the crime site."

Rossi nodded and said, "Come on, Reid."

* * *

 

Outside, Rossi and Reid introduced themselves to the local deputy waiting for them and got into the car to go to the crime scene.

The deputy said, "I've never seen anything like this. You say there have been other murders like this?"

Rossi said, "If the M.O. is the same, there have been four others." The deputy whistled softly and remained silent for the rest of the drive.

They only drove a short distance from the venue, arriving behind a closed storefront building. There was crime scene tape sectioning off the area and three other police vehicles in the area, all with lights flashing.

Reid, Rossi, and the deputy got out of the car and approached the crime scene, being waved through by the officer guarding the area. The girl, and it was a girl, she'd be lucky if she was eighteen, was lying on her back with her arms crossed over her belly. Her jeans were still on as well as one slip-on shoe, but her shirt was gone and she had an intricate pattern of four roses carved down the right side of her chest. They curved over and under with the swell of her breast. Her eyes were open and stared sightlessly up at the sky, with the blood pooled around her.

Rossi stopped a few feet away and looked around the surroundings, but Reid stepped close and kneeled down to get a closer look at the rose design. Slipping on a pair of gloves, he had to kneel close to her hip to avoid the blood pool, but he still got a good view. They were they same basic design as the first victims: roses half-bloomed, still partly curved into a bud. Three were bunched together while there was a space before the fourth bloomed from under her breast. Like with the other victims, there were no hesitation marks or mistaken cuts visible.

The cut slitting her throat was one long, deep cut. Again, there were no signs of hesitation. Reid asked, "Did you get pictures of the body yet?" At the sheriff's nod, Reid carefully lifted one hand and checked for defensive wounds. There appeared to be none. Rossi said, "Again, our guy found a quiet, out-of-the way place for the body, but this time, he didn't dump the body, he let it be found in the original crime scene. Why? What's changed?"

Reid said, "The roses are getting more intricate. He might not want to move the bodies and damage his work. He also may be devolving. Rushing. Especially considering she is partially clothed."

Rossi shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around, saying, "It's still a secluded location. How did he get her here? How does he get close to any of them?"

Reid shook his head.

Rossi turned to Fielding and asked, "Did she have identification on her? Has the family been notified?"

Pointing to the right corner, Fielding said, "Her purse was found over there. Melinda Sawyer. The sheriff just got back from notifying the family."

Rossi asked, "Did they say whether she was a fan of Panic at the Disco?"

"A big fan, apparently. She had tickets to the concert tonight and was even going to drive to Miami and Orlando to see the shows there."

By the time they were finished at the crime scene, it was late. Rossi took a phone call from Hotch, and they agreed to meet at the police station. Morgan and Prentiss were coming in from Houston and had news.

Reid and Rossi piled into the deputy's car and drove with him over to the police station. They were met there by Hotch and JJ. Handing Reid and Rossi each a cup of coffee, Hotch said, "Anything new at this crime scene?"

Rossi said, "Just that the rose design is getting more intricate and this body wasn't dumped. The murder happened there."

Hotch nodded and said, "Sounds like he's devolving quickly. This makes two murders in two days and Morgan said that body wasn't dumped either."

Reid said, "When do Morgan and Emily get in?"

Hotch checked his watch. "Not until the morning. We'll wait for them before giving the profile."

Rossi asked, "How did the interviews go?"

Hotch said, "It was a wash. No one's seen anything or knows anything. The whole tour's spooked now, though, and they agreed to hold off heading for Miami until the late morning."

* * *

 

Back at the hotel, Reid had trouble relaxing again. Apparently Emily wasn't the only one who was troubled by this case. He tried reviewing his case notes, watching the TV, and listening to his CDs, but nothing relaxed him. Finally, too jittery to stand still, he went out for some ice. On the way back, he ran into Spencer who was getting off the elevator with a duffle bag. Feeling a jolt of excitement at the sight, Reid said, "Oh, hey. I didn't know you guys were staying here."

Spencer smiled at him and said, "Hello again. We weren't going to; we were going to drive straight to Miami. But then you guys wanted us to stick around, and it became a hotel night."

Grimacing, Reid offered a simple, "Sorry."

"No, it's cool. It's important, we get that. Plus, it's great to sleep in a real bed for a change." Spencer grinned at Reid, and Reid laughed a little.

"Well, okay then."

Spencer looked at the floor and then behind him. Firming his stance and cocking his hip, he turned back to Reid and said, "Hey, can I talk to you?"

Crossing his arms, Reid said, "Yeah, Sure."

Waving at a door with his key card, Spencer said, "Come in so I can put this down and before I get recognized."

Nodding, Reid followed Spencer into his hotel room. He stood by the door as Spencer threw his duffle onto the bed. Spencer tapped his foot and crossed his arms. He ran a hand through his hair. He looked monumentally nervous, and Reid wasn't surprised when he asked, "So, honestly, are we in danger?"

Reid hesitated before giving a pat answer. He searched Spencer's eyes and saw fear there, but also determination. He said, "We really don't know yet. It's one of the more likely possibilities, though. You should do everything you can to remain safe."

Tightening his arms around his torso, Spencer said, "Shit."

Awkwardly patting Spencer on the shoulder, Reid wished he was better at comforting victims and witnesses. He never knew what to do when someone looked like they needed a hug. That was such an intimate gesture to offer to strangers. He was always more comfortable with words. He said, "Stay in groups, take note of any unusual attention, gifts, things like that. We're doing everything we can to catch this guy before he hurts anyone else."

Spencer said, "I know. We know. And thanks." He looked right into Reid's eyes, and Reid again felt as if he was falling down a deep tunnel. They stared at each other silently for a long moment, before Spencer blinked and looked away with a little laugh. He said, "So are you based here in Florida?"

Reid said, "No, the BAU, Behavioral Analysis Unit, is based in Quantico, Virginia."

Spencer said, "Oh? We'll be up around that area at the end of the month. Maybe you'd like to come see us play. See what that whole concert experience is like."

"I'd really like that."

Spencer smiled at him and sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. He looked like he was settling in. Reid didn't know whether to do the same, so he shifted nervously until Spencer patted the bed next to him. "Have a seat. So are you from the Virginia area?"

Reid sat down on the bed, turned to face toward Spencer. "No, I grew up in Las Vegas."

Spencer beamed at him. "So did we! Where?"

Reid remembered reading that, but he didn't mention that he had done research on the band. He had a sudden desire to discover these things from Spencer himself. "Out by the University. How about you?"

"Summerlin. Can you believe the humidity here? It wasn't like this in Vegas."

"I know. Morgan keeps making fun of me when I complain about the heat when we go to the South, but it's entirely different." They settled into getting to know one another, and Reid didn't remember when he had enjoyed himself more. They talked about Las Vegas and traveling, books and movies.

Spencer said, "I can't believe you graduated high school at twelve. No wonder you're so young and have a Ph.D."

Reid replied, "Three Ph.D.s, actually. And anyway, you're awfully young to have a successful rock band, if I'm not mistaken."

Spencer laughed. "Okay, okay, we're both prodigies." They smiled at each other and dissolved into light laughter.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Reid looked down at his watch and was amazed to discover an hour and a half had gone by. He said, "Check the peephole first."

Spencer said, "Yeah, okay," and went to the door, followed by Reid. After checking, he said, "It's Brendon."

He opened the door, and Brendon started talking immediately, "Spencer, can I stay with you? Ryan kicked me out for fidgeting too much and I don't want to sleep alone." His voice trailed off as he came into the room and saw Reid standing behind Spencer. His eyebrows disappeared behind his bangs as his gaze darted between the two of them. He finished with, "Or maybe not."

Reid said, "No, I was just leaving."

Placing his hand on Reid's arm, Spencer said, "Thanks for answering my questions."

Ducking through the still open door, Reid looked back and said, "Anytime. Good night."

It wasn't until he got back to his room that Reid realized he had forgotten his ice bucket in Spencer's room.

* * *

 

Early the next morning, while they were waiting for Morgan and Emily, Reid broke out his laptop and searched for pictures of Ryan Ross's vest. Getting a clear photo, Reid couldn't help but notice the similarity to the pattern of roses on the victim's chests. He said, "Guys."

They crowded around his laptop as he showed them the picture. He said, "I think there's a good chance the Unsub is obsessed with Ryan. This is a little too close to just be a coincidence."

From behind everyone, Morgan said, "A type four assassin, huh? Well, it's not like we haven't dealt with one of those before."

Everyone turned back to greet Morgan and Emily, saying their hellos and offering coffee. Both of them looked ragged and tired. Traveling would do that. Hotch asked the sheriff if they could use a conference room to build up the profile, and once everyone was settled in, he asked, "So what did you find?"

Emily said, "The Unsub is definitely devolving. The body was found at the crime scene and was partially clothed unlike the other victims."

Morgan said, "The big news is that we got a print off her belt buckle. She rode in rodeos and it was one of those big, fancy affairs. It held the print real well. We catch this guy; we have a link to this murder at least."

Just then Morgan's phone rang and he checked the caller ID. Putting it on speaker phone, He said, "What have you got for us, Princess?"

Garcia's tinny voice came over the phone. She said, "Like always, I'm going to make your day." Morgan chuckled and that seemed enough of a response for Garcia because she continued with, "I've scoured the victim's computers that you sent me. All three victims belonged to Panic at the Disco's message board and all seemed to indicate Ryan Ross is their favorite. I can relate, he's totally dishy. Anyway, more importantly, all had contact with someone calling themselves 'justassweet69.' Amanda Matherson even made arrangements online to meet up with this person before her concert. The others had exchanged phone numbers, so they might have made arrangements offline as well."

Reid said, "A rose by any other name is just as sweet. It's got to be our Unsub. Do you have an IP address or other information on this person?"

Garcia said, "He seems to be using public connections, libraries and such, that change from day to day. Once the tour started up, the connections have followed the tour. The phone numbers change as well. They're all disposable cell phones. The last number is 267-555-5555."

Morgan said, "Thanks, sweetheart. You know you're my favorite."

Garcia said, "Forever and ever. Later, everyone."

Morgan took back his cell phone and dialed the number. "The number is out of service. He probably don't buy many minutes at a time if he knows he's going to be disposing of them rapidly."

Reid said, "So a type four assassin obsessed with Ryan Ross and roses. So far he hasn't turned his attention to Ryan yet, but is that because of a lack of access or he just hasn't built up to it?"

Hotch said, "Let's present the profile, and then we'll discuss what we're going to do next."

They all stood and Hotch called the sheriff and the local FBI agents over to let them know they were ready to give the profile.

To the assembled group, Rossi said, "We're looking for a white male in his late twenties, early thirties, confident and intense. Despite that, he has a history of having grievances and resentments, and with exposure, he tends to make people nervous."

Hotch said, "Because of the carving skill, he'll be detail-oriented and good with his hands. Maybe does fine-detailed work in his current or past job. Because of his mental illness, he probably switches jobs often and has an unstable job history."

Reid said, "He has the delusion that he has a personal and close relationship with Ryan Ross of Panic at the Disco. Because he is a type four assassin, along with his delusion, it is very probable that he suffers or suffered from depression, doesn't drink or do drugs, and has been arrested previously on unrelated, nonviolent charges."

Emily said, "He is unassuming and blends in well. He is able to gain the trust of the victims, enough that they follow him to secluded areas. Because of this, we think he is average or below average height and has a slight, but strong build.

Morgan said, "He hasn't made contact with Ryan Ross yet, but that doesn't mean Ryan is safe. The crimes are escalating."

Hotch said, "Reid, Morgan, and I will go back to the tour and see if we can uncover anything new with the profile. JJ you stay here and manage the press."

Rossi said, "Prentiss and I will head towards Miami to see if we can head him off there while prepping their police department."

 

* * *

 

Morgan drove them back to the venue and the tour buses. He asked, "So what are our rock stars like?"

Hotch was tapping away at his blackberry, so Reid said, "They're nice."

Morgan looked over at him briefly. "Nice? Just nice?"

Reid coughed. "Well, you know."

Without looking up, Hotch said, "Reid hit it off with their drummer." Reid guessed Hotch had been observing Spencer and him longer than he thought yesterday. He blushed at the memory.

Morgan said, "Chatting up the celebrities again, eh, Reid? You have a desire to be famous? Write a book like Rossi?"

Reid scrunched down in his seat. "It's not like that. We just connected."

Morgan shot him another quick glance. "Like Lila Archer connected?"

Crossing his arms, Reid remained stubbornly silent. Hotch also didn't say anything, but went back to his tapping on his blackberry. Apparently, he felt his work here was done.

Morgan tapped on the steering wheel for a couple minutes and then said, as if he couldn't help himself, "You know it's not a good idea, Reid."

"Nothing is going on. It's not like that."

"If you say so." Morgan still looked worried. Reid tried not to let it get to him. Morgan, apparently unable to let it go, said, "I can't believe you're falling for a pop star and not even a cool one."

Knowing Morgan wouldn't let it go, and curious as to what Morgan thought, Reid asked, "Who would be cool?"

"Mariah Carey is hot, but LL Cool J is the man."

"Who?"

Morgan slanted him a disbelieving look. "Don't even go there. How can you not know who LL Cool J is? He's just the greatest rapper there ever was."

Reid shrugged and said, "I don't know much about rap music."

As they pulled into the venue parking lot, Morgan said, "Well, we'll have to fix that as soon as possible. We'll have you liking cool music in no time."

They boarded the tour bus, passing though the kitchen where Morgan tapped on a marijuana sticker on the microwave and snorted. Reid blushed, but remained silent. He had no room to talk, and he knew at least Hotch suspected his past problem with Dialudid. Reid didn't know if he could articulate the connection he had felt with the other Spencer, especially not to Morgan. He did know better after Lila, but he'd also not felt anything so strongly for a witness since Lila.

Without conversation, they proceeded to the back lounge, where they found only Spencer and Brendon waiting for them.

Hotch said, "This is Special Agent Derek Morgan. He's also with the BAU." Morgan nodded at the two band members as Hotch asked, "Where are the others?"

Spencer said, "You told us to keep as close to our regular schedule as possible. We had a radio interview scheduled in Miami this morning. Jon and Ryan were the losers and had to go."

Brendon said, "We drew straws."

Spencer said, "So what's going on? Did you catch the guy?"

Morgan said, "Not yet. We have some more questions for you. Have you noticed anyone paying unusual attention to Ryan Ross?"

Brendon said, "Ryan? You think he's the target?"

Morgan said, "Please answer the question."

Spencer said, "I haven't. Not anyone who fit the description Spencer gave me yesterday."

Brendon said, "What description was that?"

Reid said, "We're looking for a white male, mid-twenties to thirties. He'd have some problems with depression and self-esteem. Unassuming demeanor, but gets scarily focused around Ryan. Doesn't drink or do drugs."

Spencer was shaking his head, but Brendon had a thoughtful look on his face. Hotch said,   
"Brendon, does that remind you of someone?"

Brendon said, "Well, yeah." He looked at Spencer. "You know Mike? The guy who looks like a heavy-set Ryan? He's always talking about how he could be Ryan's twin. I thought he was joking, but... And the techs were just bitching that he never hangs out or goes drinking with them. Called him a damned teetotaler."

Morgan asked, "Where would he be now?"

Spencer said, "Zach would know." He took out his phone and speed dialed, putting the phone on speaker.

Zach answered the phone with, "What do you need?"

Spencer said, "Zach, where's the tech Mike? The one who looks like Ryan?"

Zach said, "He volunteered to drive Jon and Ryan to Miami. Why, what's up?"

With a dawning look of horror on his face, Brendon said, "Oh my god. The killer is alone with Jon and Ryan."

Before Brendon finished, Hotch had his phone out.

They could hear Zach cursing on the phone as Spencer stared at it, speechless. Zach said, "I'll be right there."

Hotch speaking on the phone said, "Rossi? The Unsub is on his way to Miami with Jon and Ryan. We have to move fast." He then listened for a couple beats. He nodded and said, "All right," and then hung up. "Rossi will notify Miami police. Once Zach gets here with the car details, I'll notify the Highway Patrol. We'll also see if Garcia can track their GPS. We have to move fast."

Morgan said, "Zach can phone us the details. Let's get moving."

Brendon said, "You aren't leaving without us." He crossed his arms and looked defiant. It would have looked hardcore, but his lip was quivering.

Reid said, "This isn't a TV show. We can't endanger any more civilians. It will be safer if you wait here."

Spencer said, "We don't care about safety. We care about Ryan and Jon."

Reid said, "Which is why you'll get in the way and prevent us from doing our jobs."

Hotch said, "No, they can come. They can give us more information on this Mike on the way. We'll bring their security guy Zach to keep them in line."

Brendon grinned at Hotch and said, "Anything! We'll totally help!" He then started crowding them off the bus, Reid guessed so that they would be gone before Hotch changed his mind. Reid didn't know if he agreed with Hotch's decision. It would be useful to have more information on the suspect, but he was worried about Spencer and Brendon.

They met up with Zach as they left the bus. Hotch got the SUV details from him and relayed them to the Florida Highway Patrol as they sprinted to their own SUV. They all crowded in. Zach and Brendon got the very back, Spencer and Reid were in the middle, and Hotch and Morgan were in the front. Morgan screeched out of the parking lot and headed for the highway.

At first things were quiet except for the murmur of Hotch on the phone to Garcia, and then Hotch started asking questions about Mike. Zach knew the most, unsurprisingly, but Brendon was a surprising fount of information.

Spencer was quiet with his hands clasped tightly in his lap. Reid leaned over and whispered, "We'll do everything we can to help Ryan and Jon."

"I know. Just. I've known Ryan since I was five. I don't know what life would be like without him."

Reid couldn't promise that Ryan would be all right, but he could comfort Spencer by keeping him talking. So he said, "Tell me about Ryan."

Spencer closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the seat. "Ryan's amazing. He's still my best friend; we tell each other everything. I wouldn't be here without Ryan's belief. It was his idea to form a band when we were kids. He was so passionate about it. I couldn't help but get caught up in it."

Reid said, "He sounds like a great guy."

"He is. He and Jon are the best." Spencer swiped at his eyes angrily.

Brendon reached forward and wrapped his arm around Spencer's neck. "We'll get them back safe and sound. We will."

Spencer nodded, but didn't say anything else. Hotch's phone rang, and they all shut up at that. Hotch answered and they waited breathlessly as he said, "Yes. Yes. Okay, great. We're on our way." He hung up the phone, and said, "Local police have picked up Jon in Miami. He's all right, but he's a bit scratched up. Apparently Mike attacked them after the interview and threw Jon out of the vehicle."

Hotch's phone rang again, and they all listened as he again talked into the phone for a minute before hanging up. He said, "Garcia is tracking Mike and Ryan right now. It looks like they're headed our way. She's also coordinating with Highway Patrol."

Brendon said, "Oh my god." Spencer gripped the arm of his seat tightly, and Reid looked away. His gaze was caught by Morgan's in the mirror, and he blushed slightly. It was an unsubtle reminder to keep his mind on the suspect.

After ten tense minutes, in the distance they heard sirens coming their way, and Morgan accelerated. Suddenly, on the other side of the highway they saw a black SUV come careening around the corner with Highway Patrol right on its tail. Morgan shouted, "Hold on!" Reid gripped the head rest and Spencer's arm as Spencer was thrust against him as Morgan braked and turned the car sharply. He drove them over the dividing grass partition, the car jostling and bumping, and joined the chase with the Highway Patrol.

Behind them, Brendon shouted, "Oh, god!"

Morgan accelerated and joined the lead car. Hotch said, "Careful, Morgan. We don't want this guy to do something dangerous."

Gritting his teeth and pulling to the side slightly, Morgan answered, "I know. I'm just trying to box him in."

Reid still had hold of Spencer's arm, and Spencer leaned into him, saying. "This isn't good is it?"

Reid said, "Only one in one hundred pursuits result in fatalities, and collisions usually happen within the first two minutes of pursuit. I think we're well past that."

The car skidded as Morgan had to swerve, and Spencer breathlessly said, "That doesn't answer my question."

"No, this isn't good."

Brendon was chanting, "Oh, god," behind them, and as Morgan suddenly accelerated sharply, his voice rose in volume. Reid's heart was beating rapidly in time with Brendon's chanting, and he wished Brendon would be quiet, hoped that would allow him to calm down.

Morgan continued to accelerate, pulling ahead of the lead car and over onto the grass to pull alongside the fleeing SUV. The SUV was now alongside Reid's window; Reid could see the suspect inside, looking wildly about. Morgan swerved sharply, pulling in front of the SUV slightly, forcing it into a spin, and Reid could hear the brakes engage even over the Highway Patrol sirens.

As the SUV spun out to the right, Morgan continued braking and Brendon's shouts reached fever-pitch. Before the car came to a stop, Reid and Hotch were already jumping out of the vehicle. Hotch yelled, "Stay in the car!" at Spencer and Brendon, and out of the corner of his eye, Reid saw Zach reach for Spencer.

Guns drawn, Reid and Hotch ran toward the patrol car that was closest and gave them the best coverage. Morgan overtook them before they were half the distance. The State Troopers were also out of their cars and converging on the SUV. Morgan shouted, "Did Rossi say whether he was armed?"

Hotch said, "Not armed as far as we know." And then he shouted, "Morgan!" as Morgan began sprinting toward the vehicle. Reid debated internally for the briefest moment, but then took off after Morgan and the silent, ominous SUV.

While they ran, Reid could hear the SUV turn over and then stall as the suspect tried to get the car started again.

When Morgan reached the SUV, he didn't even bother with the door handle, he just raised his gun, butt out, and brought it sharply down on the driver's side window. The window shattered with a resounding, crashing crack and by the time Reid reached the SUV, Morgan was already halfway through the window pulling the suspect through shouting, "FBI, FBI! Come out with your hands up!"

Reid covered Morgan until he heard the pounding of feet signaling the rest of the police behind him. He then inched around Morgan and the futilely struggling suspect, and tried the back, driver's side door. Miraculously it was unlocked. As Reid opened the door, Morgan had the suspect on the ground, restrained with Hotch and the Highway Patrol guarding him.

Inside, bound tightly with rope, and half undressed was Ryan. The rope was looped through his mouth and twisted around his back and then forward to tie his hands in front of him. There was a second length of rope around his bare feet. Reid briefly wondered where his shoes were. It was obvious why he wasn't wearing a shirt. There was a curving, deep gash through his right pectoral muscle. It looked like they had interrupted the suspect before he could complete his work.

Ryan turned to look at him, pupils blown with terror and fear. After checking the inside of the car for anyone else, Reid holstered his gun and leaned close to Ryan. His focus and attention narrowed. The sounds of the apprehension mere feet away faded from his consciousness. He said, "Ryan, Ryan, you're safe, we've got you now." Ryan shied away from him, and Reid repeated himself, adding, "Spencer sent me. Spencer and Brendon and Jon."

Reid held his breath as slowly, awareness crept back into Ryan's eyes and Reid said, "I'm going to cut these ropes, okay? Okay, Ryan?"

Ryan blinked at him for long moments, searching his face, before finally nodding slowly. Reid reached slowly for his pocket knife and unbent it. Even more slowly he reached for the rope around Ryan's mouth and said, "Don't move." Ryan froze and as quickly as he could, Reid sawed the rope in half. It released with a sob from Ryan, and Reid couldn't stop himself from saying, "I know, I know."

Quickly now, he unwrapped the rope from Ryan's back and bound hands, pulling Ryan into a sitting position. Ryan was malleable, and his awareness seemed to fade in and out. Reid pulled out his handkerchief, pressing it against the cut on Ryan's chest. Ryan let out a small cry, and Reid said, "I'm sorry. You're going to be fine."

Ryan coughed and looked at Reid. He was panting, but still managed to get one word out. He said, "Jon?"

"Jon's fine, just a little bruised, I promise. And Spencer and Brendon are also fine. Everyone is fine now."

Ryan's eyes closed and he slumped toward Reid with another sob, and awkwardly Reid put his arm around him.

Hotch leaned over Reid's shoulder and said, "How is he?"

Still holding Ryan, Reid said, "Okay, but we need an ambulance. He's been cut and he has rope burns."

Hotch said, "Already on its way." And then Reid's ears unclogged, and he heard the sirens of the ambulance in the distance and Morgan reading the suspect his rights.

Reid waited, holding Ryan until the paramedics arrived. He then passed Ryan over to them and the waiting gurney and crawled out of the SUV. Ryan grabbed a hold of his hand, and Reid looked down at him as the technicians worked over him. Ryan said, "Thanks."

Reid squeezed his hand and said, "I'll go tell Spencer and Brendon you're all right." Ryan nodded and let the technicians roll him away. Reid walked to the side of the highway where Spencer and Brendon were waiting with Zach. Brendon broke free of Zach's grip and raced to Reid, saying, "Ryan! Is Ryan all right?"

Reid caught Brendon by the shoulders before he could barrel into him and said, "He's fine. Just has a cut and is banged up a bit, but he's fine. I promise."

Brendon said, "We saw the ambulance." By this time, Spencer and Zach were also abreast of Reid.

To all of them, Reid said, "It's just a precaution." Spencer seemed to deflate in relief, and Zach had to hold him up. Brendon on the other hand was bouncing in place and broke out laughing hysterically. Spencer hugged Brendon until he calmed down.

Spencer said, "We have to get to the hospital."

Hotch came up then, along with a State Trooper and said, "Officer Michaels will drive you there."

Brendon bounced in place again and said, "Thank you! Thank you!" He started to rush forward, apparently to give the officer a hug, but Zach gripped the back of his shirt and held him back. The officer had a horrified look on his face, so Reid guessed it was good that Zach restrained him.

Zach and Brendon followed the officer to his car, and Hotch went back to the main crime scene, leaving Reid and Spencer alone. Spencer said, "Thanks for staying with Ryan. We saw you with him."

"Just doing my job."

"Well, I still appreciate it." And then Spencer was hugging him tightly. Reid couldn't stop his arms from coming up around Spencer, too. It was awkward. He never knew what to do in physically intimate situations. Spencer's beard tickled Reid's neck, and then he was gone, loping after Zach and Brendon. Reid shook himself and then turned back to go to the crime scene.

As he joined the officers processing the scene, Morgan strolled up to him and said, "Oh, yeah, they're nice and there's nothing going on."

Reid said, "Shut up," but it was a mild rebuke. Morgan's arm was bandaged from where he had cut it on the broken car door window. He had refused to go in the ambulance with Ryan.

Morgan said, "I never would have tagged Spencer as your type." Morgan had met Devon and knew of Reid's bisexuality, as did the whole team. Keeping his past drug addiction a secret was tough enough, not that he was very successful at it, keeping this a secret seemed like too much trouble for no reason.

"It's not like that. He was just happy his band mate was all right."

"Keep telling yourself that, kid." Reid gave Morgan a disbelieving look and then gratefully turned toward Hotch who was calling for him.

It took the rest of the day for them to process the various crimes and deal with the media. They met up with Rossi, JJ, and Emily at the police station and briefed the local police on the history of murders that had led to the chase. Fielding and Morrow were also there to help coordinate efforts between the local departments. By all accounts, both Ryan and Jon were fine, although they didn't get a chance to see the band again. Reid told himself that he wasn't disappointed by this.

They placed the suspect in an interrogation room. He had refused a lawyer, so Hotch was going to do the interrogation. Hotch started off slowly, but once he got the suspect talking, words seemed to spill from him in torrents. His hands would jerk and his head would twitch, but he was talking.

As Reid and Emily watched from behind the glass, Hotch asked, "Why did you kidnap Ryan Ross?"

"Because he was the culmination of my life's work. Because he stole from me."

"What did he steal from you?"

"My life. His life. Our life."

"How did he steal your life?"

"It was meant for me. I was meant for greater things, not him. People shouldn't be able to just steal your life like that. That's not right. I had to rectify it. Put things right."

Hotch spread pictures out on the table. "Heidi Cho, Catherine Fellows, Amanda Matherson, Maria Ramirez, and Melinda Sawyer. Do you recognize these women?"

The suspect giggled softly and ran his hand down one of the pictures. "I took back what was rightfully mine."

"How did you take them back?"

"I marked them. Bound them to me for eternity. They will forever be mine now, not his."

"How did you mark them?"

"I took the sign and turned it into mine. But I couldn't complete my mission. You interrupted my mission. Why did you do that? Why did you do that?" The suspect was screaming by this point and straining at the cuffs holding him to his chair. Emily turned away with a look of disgust on her face.

Reid followed her to the back of the observation room. "Are you all right?"

Emily wiped a hand across her face and said, "Yeah, yeah. It's probably a good thing I wasn't there for the take-down. I don't know how I would have reacted. This guy…" She shook her head in disbelief.

Reid said, "Yeah, well, Morgan definitely had the extreme reaction covered."

She said, "I heard you weren't too far behind."

"I was just covering his back."

She gave him a patented look of doubt and then looked back into the interview room where Hotch had the suspect calm again. She said, "We think we understand people, Unsubs, but it is all a surface understanding. I'll never comprehend what motivates something like this."

"The more delusional killers are harder to fathom."

"That's not what I mean. Or not exactly. I mean where the Unsub thinks he owns the victims in some way. That by killing them and stealing their life, they've created a bond. And I don't want some example from an ancient culture where they believed this as well. That's not what I mean, and you know it."

Reid nodded, but remained silent as Emily hurried from the room.

They flew back to Quantico in the late afternoon. Reid was exhausted but couldn't sleep on the way home. He thought about what Emily had said and wondered if he felt the same way. He wasn't sure, and he didn't know if that made him a better profiler or simply a worse person. Remembering the terrified look in Ryan's eyes, he knew it wasn't that black and white.

* * *

 

A week or so after their return, Reid received a package from Spencer. Reid's heart didn't skip a beat, but he knew it was only because Morgan was watching him knowingly. Inside was a brief note thanking them for solving the case and saving Ryan, as well as tickets and passes for the Panic at the Disco concert that night at Constitution Hall. Reid didn't know if he should assume anything by its being addressed to him. He looked again at Morgan as he fingered the tickets and sighed. Best to play it safe and assume nothing.

He asked everyone if they wanted to go, but it seemed as if everyone had plans. Both Garcia and JJ had dates, Hotch said he had to work, Rossi laughed at him, Emily said she was having dinner with her old college friends, and Morgan said he wouldn't be caught dead at their concert.

Reid felt silly going to the concert alone until he saw Zach and was pulled off his feet into a huge hug. Reid squeaked as Zach exclaimed, "Spencer! We're so glad you could make it! Anyone else joining you?"

Finally put back on the ground, Reid staggered slightly and said, "No, they all had plans."

Zach nodded. "Well, the guys will be happy to see you at least. Come on back."

Zach led him through a double set of doors and into a dim hallway. He knocked on a doorway about halfway down and at a murmured sound from inside, ushered Reid through the door. He said, "Look who I have!" and Reid blushed as every eye turned toward him.

Brendon shouted, "Spencer! You made it!" and, like Zach, rushed forward and pulled Reid into a strong hug. Prepared for it this time, Reid returned the hug as graciously as he could. The others crowded around and all pulled him into a hug. Jon's hug was brief and quick, Ryan's hug was longer and he whispered, "Thank you" in Reid's ear, while Spencer's hug lasted the longest as he gripped Reid tightly for an endless moment. Reid felt ruffled and warm by the time they were done saying hello. He knew he was blushing harder, but he couldn't help it.

Once all the hugging was done and everyone stepped back, he said, "Er, hello." Brendon beamed at him and the rest smiled.

Brendon said, "It's been crazy since the story broke. We've been fielding interview requests from CNN and _TIME Magazine_. Poor Ryan's getting the worst of it. It's like a feeding frenzy."

Reid nodded. "Luckily, we can funnel everything through our Media Office. JJ is great at handling the press, but even she gets tired of it when a case blows up like this. How are you holding up otherwise?"

Here everyone shifted and looked around, but appeared unwilling to say what was really going on. Reid could relate. He had had a couple nightmares about car chases and the return of the Tobias nightmares he had had previously. Spencer said, "We've hired a therapist. That seems to help. We're going to keep her through the summer at least."

Reid said, "That's smart. It's a lot to deal with on your own." It was smart. Smarter than Reid had been about his own problems. It had taken him months if not a year to admit he needed help.

Jon said, "What can you tell us about the case? We don't know much more than what's been in the papers."

Reid shared what information he could. He didn't know if it would help, but he felt it was the least he could do. They seemed grateful at least.

Brendon said, "We had to cancel the Miami show, but felt it was important to continue the tour after that. We did shut down the messageboard, though, once it was revealed that's how he contacted our fans. We didn't want to be a party to something else like this in the future. The fans have been great about all of it, although we've gotten some flak in the press."

Ryan said, "The hardest part is explaining repeatedly how Mike was a part of our tour crew and how we didn't suspect anything. There's only so many ways you can say you didn't have a clue."

Reid said, "Unsubs like this hide it well. It's not your fault you didn't suspect anything"

Ryan grimaced, but nodded.

Eventually the others drifted off, leaving Spencer and Reid alone. Well, Brendon had to be dragged off by Ryan, protesting all the while, but same difference. Reid had never blushed so much in his life.

Fiddling with his hair, Reid sneaked a peek at Spencer. Spencer was smiling gently at him, and Reid laughed as he realized the ridiculousness of the situation. Flirting was never his strong suit. They were sitting side by side on the couch, so Reid turned to face Spencer fully. He said, "So, you're doing all right?"

Spencer snorted and looked away. His hands clenched in his lap. He said, "How do you deal with this every day? We're all wrecks. Ryan wakes up screaming every night. Brendon is more clingy than before, and Jon is angry all the time, which if you knew Jon, you'd know how shocking that is."

Wanting to return honesty with honesty, but not sure if he had the guts to come completely clean about his own troubles, Reid said, "I don't know. It's hard. Even as a professional, you don't escape the nightmares and anger, but you have the work to help you deal with it. You concentrate on the people you actually helped save instead of the ones you couldn't. We still stumble, though."

"Have you had nightmares about this case?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just, the car chase and everything. That was a new and unpleasant experience. And the creepiness of the roses keeps cropping up."

"Yeah, Ryan keeps touching his chest. He really feels a kinship with the girls who were killed. We dedicate a song to them, and Ryan's always particularly emotional afterwards. It's scary. I don't know how Ryan keeps up with the shows and everything."

"Getting kidnapped and held hostage is a life-altering event."

"You sound like you know from experience." Spencer searched Reid's face intently.

Reid avoided his gaze and simply said, "There was this incident about a year ago. It was, well, it was harrowing."

"Then let's not talk about it any more. We've let it consume enough of our life." Reid nodded, and Spencer took a deep breath and then grinned at him. He said, "So, concert. We get to be your first, huh?"

Nodding and grinning back, Reid said, "Yeah."

Spencer said, "That's so cool. I'm glad you came tonight. I hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will. I've been listening to your albums."

Blushing slightly, Spencer said, "Well, just remember we were seventeen when we wrote the first one."

"No, it's good. It's different. They're both different. Divergent. Not what I'm used to, but good."

Zach knocked on the door and poked his head around. "It's time, Spencer."

Spencer got up and pulled Reid after him. He said, "Come on, Zach will show you were you can watch the show."

Reid was settled onto the side of the stage with a clear view of Spencer and his drum kit. The group waved to him as they headed on stage, Brendon with a big grin, Ryan with a shy smile. Once they started playing, Spencer was lost in the music and the spectacle. The crowd roared constantly, and Reid could see the front row singing along with every song.

Spencer looked amazing. Reid wasn't even sure Spencer still knew he was there. He was playing like a fiend, flinging his hair and flying the drumsticks through the air. Reid tried to pay equal attention to all the guys and the music as a whole, but he kept finding his eyes drawn to Spencer. The tension that had leaked out of Reid as they talked returned in full measure. Reid didn't know what Spencer could possibly see in him that could match the excitement of the rest of his life.

The concert ended before Reid knew it, and the band was tumbling off stage all grins and happiness. Reid was blown away by their resiliency. It was refreshing to see the recovering side of the tragedies they investigated. It reminded him of the picture Gideon had given him to ward off nightmares: the happy family of one of Gideon's early victims who still sent letters to the BAU updating them on her life. Reid had a feeling he would use this concert as a talisman like that.

Brendon said, "Spencer Reid! Did you enjoy the show?"

Reid said, "It was great. You were all great."

Ryan said, "I forgot to sing during "Nine in the Afternoon" again."

Jon said, "Well, you were nervous. Your hero being here and all."

Ryan shoved Jon, while Jon and Brendon laughed. Reaching over, Brendon ruffled Spencer's hair and said, "Spencer, on the other hand, was on fire." Spencer simply smiled wide and twirled the drumstick he still held in his hand. Reid would have felt out of place given their familiarity, but Brendon also slung his arm around him, and it was impossible to remain distant in the face of Brendon's enthusiasm.

As they reached the dressing room, breaking away from the group, Ryan said, "First shower," and hurried into the room with Brendon on his heels shouting about fairness.

Jon smiled after them. He turned back to Reid and Spencer and said, "Third shower."

Mildly, Spencer said, "Bastard." Then with a considering but calculating look at Reid, he asked, "So I'm guessing you have hot water and a shower at your place, huh?"

Stuttering, Reid said, "Er, yes, hot water. Yes, um, I have a shower."

"Feel like sharing?"

Reid blushed and searched Spencer's eyes. He could hear Gideon's voice inside his head telling him to live a little and enjoy the moment. He almost smiled at yet another reminder that he could remember the good about Gideon without it being so overshadowed by the way he left. With certainty, he said, "Sure."

Spencer grinned and said to Jon, "Tell everyone I went home with Spencer. I'll catch up in the morning."

Reid blushed harder, but Jon was remarkably cool about it. He simply said, "Make sure it's okay with Zach."

"Already cleared it with him."

Smiling, Jon said, "You sly dog."

Spencer just grinned and took Reid's hand. He said, "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Reid marveled at the unusual feeling of Spencer's hand gripping his. It was large and sweaty, but felt wonderful and warm. Looking down at their hands, Reid said, "I don't have a car. I took the subway here."

Spencer said, "That's okay. I have access to an SUV. You can drive."

They said good-bye to Zach, who gave them a knowing look, but just reminded Spencer to be back by eight tomorrow morning.

Spencer drove them home and parked in the parking spot he never used.

He led the way up to his apartment and unlocked the door. He said, "It's not much," as he waved Spencer into the living room.

Spencer walked to the center of the room and looked around. He said, "It's just what I pictured. All overflowing bookshelves and dark furniture."

Reid stood next to him and looked around the living room with fresh eyes. "You really think it suits me? Sometimes I feel as if it's just a place to do laundry and change clothes because we travel so much."

"No, it totally suits you. And, yeah, I get you. I bought a house last year, and I haven't been back since February. But, hey, you promised me a shower."

"Oh! Let me show you the bathroom." Reid locked the front door and then ushered Spencer toward the small hallway to the bathroom and bedroom. "Let me get you some clothes to change into." Spencer followed him into the bedroom as Reid rifled through his dresser, finding a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Spencer said, "Thanks." He didn't move toward the bathroom, so Reid raised an eyebrow at him. Spencer stepped forward and brushed a kiss across Reid's mouth. Again, he said, "Thanks."

Reid licked his lips, watching as Spencer's eyes tracked his tongue, and lost his thought for a moment. Together they leaned forward for another kiss, just as innocent as the first one. Afterwards Spencer smiled at him and said, "Shower."

Reid said, "This way," and led the way back to the bathroom and left Spencer there to shower. He went back to the living room and sat on the couch, blowing out a huge breath. He didn't know what he was doing. Spencer was so much more alive and vibrant than he ever expected to have come into his life.

Hearing the shower turn off, Reid stood up and paced the living room as he waited for Spencer to come out. Feeling nervous, he went to his stereo and put on some Duke Ellington. He figured it was calming and familiar to him and Spencer might enjoy it. Finally showing up rubbing a towel through his hair, Spencer said, "I needed that. After a show I feel so gross until I can shower."

"Good. I'm glad." Reid's sweatpants were tight on Spencer, and Reid was having a hard time keeping his eyes above waist level. He blushed again and bit his lip nervously. Spencer let the towel fall to around his shoulders and stepped forward until he was in Reid's personal space. Placing his hands on Reid's hips, he said, "So where were we?"

Feeling pulled as if by an undertow, Reid lifted his hand and tucked Spencer's hair back. He brushed his lips against Spencer's and said, "Here. We were here."

Spencer pulled him closer and lifted his lips up for another kiss, finally opening his mouth to deepen it after a few moments of pressure. They kissed unhurriedly for endless minutes, Spencer's thumbs hypnotically rubbing circles into Reid's hips, Reid's chest tightening from the maddening feeling. Reid slowly blinked open his eyes as their kisses slowed and finally stopped, Spencer resting his forehead against Reid's. Huskily Spencer said, "I love it that you're slightly taller."

They kissed again, Reid finally pulling back to say, "Do you want. What do you want?"

Spencer laughed softly. "I want whatever you want. Whatever. I'm just happy to see you again."

"Yeah, it's always impossible when a case is going on. I was happy to receive the tickets for tonight. I wasn't sure if I was a reminder of something you'd rather forget."

"Trust me; I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what happened. And you were one of the bright spots through the whole thing. You're the last thing I want to forget about." Spencer kissed Reid again to prove his point. Reid sank into it and let his worries retreat. When they were both breathless and panting, Spencer pulled back and said, "How about you show me your bed now?"

They stumbled into the bedroom and onto the bed, kissing all the while. Spencer maneuvered Reid so that he was lying beneath him, one hand pulling at Reid's thigh, the other stroking at his neck. Moaning, Reid let Spencer have his way. Spencer's weight on top of him felt too good to resist.

Letting Spencer pull his leg up, Reid wrapped it around Spencer's knee, allowing Spencer to nestle between his thighs. Spencer hummed a contented sound and ground down in tight circles. This was more than Reid could stand, and he broke the kiss, throwing his head back to pant harshly. Spencer took advantage of this and nibbled a sucking trail down Reid's neck and all thoughts fled from Reid's mind. It had been so long, and Spencer's beard tickled so deliciously against his throat.

Reid knew he should be doing more, that he shouldn't let Spencer take complete charge, but his brain couldn't seem to send the messages to his hands, which just gripped Spencer's shoulders tightly and held on. He felt as if he'd never been so turned on in all his life, and they hadn't even gotten any clothes off yet. He didn't think he'd be able to take it if they were skin to skin.

Spencer reached the collar of his shirt, and began nuzzling at the fabric, bringing one hand up to pull at Reid's knotted tie and buttoned collar. Struggling with the clothing, he pulled back to say, "Why you have to dress like this, I have no idea. You're like a conservative Ryan." He pulled back further so he could lean on his elbows and use both hands to attack Reid's tie.

Catching his breath, Reid relaxed his hands on Spencer's shoulders and slid them down his back. He rucked up the t-shirt a little bit as he dragged his hands back up and closed his eyes and shuddered at the feel of soft, smooth skin under his palms. He said, "I do like Ryan's clothes."

Brushing a quick kiss to the underside of his jaw, Spencer said, "You would." He then made a triumphant sound and latched his mouth onto Reid's collarbone which he had freed of its cloth prison. Reid tilted his head back again and panted at the ceiling. He gripped the back of Spencer's head and let Spencer's wet hair wrap around his fingers. His heart was beating double-time, and he could feel Spencer's heart thumping in tune. When he couldn't stand it one minute longer, he tugged Spencer's head back up, and his mouth into a kiss.

Spencer came willingly and settled his tongue in Reid's mouth like it was a second home. Their kisses grew sloppy and dirty as their hips moved frantically. With a moan, Spencer shuffled and got a hand down between them and started tugging at Reid's zipper and button. Reid wanted to help, he did, but his hands refused to leave the Spencer's skin. He did manage, barely, to keep his hips still so Spencer would have room to work. Finally, with an exclaimed, "Fuck," Spencer finished undoing and pushing their pants out of the way, and settled back into the vee of Reid's legs.

At the first touch of their cocks together, Reid shuddered again and moaned loudly. His heart skipped a beat and then jackhammered back to life. Now things really grew frantic as they thrust against each other quicker and quicker. Reid was close and he tightened his leg around Spencer's knee to pull him closer and to get better leverage to grind upwards. Before he could come, Spencer's mouth slipped from his, and Spencer breathed out a, "Fuck, baby," and came in long shudders against Reid's belly.

The warm spurts and scrape of Spencer's beard were enough to send Reid over the edge, and he bared his throat and groaned loudly as he came. Spencer had remained tense above him as he came, but once he was done, Spencer collapsed to the side with a small grunt, their legs still tangled together.

They lay there panting next to each other for long minutes, Reid's eyes opening and closing in slow blinks. He hadn't felt so replete in forever. Finally, he forced his eyes open, and he curled up so he could turn toward Spencer. Spencer blindly reached for him, and Reid smiled as he took the hand Spencer was waving around above him. He said, "Hey."

Spencer said, "Hey, yourself. We should get cleaned up."

Reid squeezed Spencer's hand lightly and said, "I'll get a washcloth." He leaned forward and brushed a kiss over Spencer's cheek, right where the beard ended, and then rolled off the bed. He grimaced as he looked down, holding his pants up. Shrugging at the mess, he shucked his shoes and clothes, and went into the bathroom to get a warm, wet washcloth.

By the time he got back, Spencer was naked as well, his clothes thrown to the floor. He looked stunning. All long muscles and acres of smooth skin. Reid paused for a second to admire, and then leaned one knee on the bed so he could wipe him down. Opening his eyes, Spencer smiled up at him and said, "Thanks."

Reid said, "No problem," pulling down the covers so they could both get into bed. Spencer rolled and shifted until he was snuggled under the sheets and then held the blankets so Reid could join him. Biting his lip, Reid slid into the warm cocoon and cuddled up next to Spencer. It seemed expected of him and he was glad. He didn't want this to be just some cold, one-night stand for a rock star. According to all signs, it looked like Spencer was on the same page and Reid was hopeful. He hadn't felt such a strong connection with anyone in a long while, certainly his last couple of relationships with Karla and Devon hadn't come close, and it was exciting to imagine this as the start of something new. Even if they had to fight their respective schedules to spend time together, it would be worth it to feel this closeness and electricity.

Spencer wrapped his arm around Reid and pulled him close. With a yawn, he said, "Tired now. Is the alarm set?"

Reid said, "For six-thirty." Feeling carefree, he leaned forward and pecked a kiss to the side of Spencer's mouth. Spencer leaned into the kiss with a little murmur and a slight smile, and Reid hid his grin in Spencer's shoulder. He said, "Go to sleep."

And they did.

In the morning, there was only time for some quick kissing before they had to jump out of bed and get going. Reid had to get to work and Spencer had promised Zach up, down, and sideways to be back with the tour by eight. Spencer borrowed some more sweatpants and another t-shirt, and they packed his performance clothes in a small duffle bag.

Spencer held Reid's hand on the way back to the hotel, and Reid couldn't stop smiling. Spencer had a goofy grin as well, so Reid wasn't too self-conscious about it. Spencer said, "We're in Philadelphia on the ninth. Do you think you can make it up? And then maybe travel with us for the weekend?"

Squeezing Spencer's hand, Reid said, "I'd love to. I won't know until that day, though. My job is really unpredictable."

Spencer said, "Tentative plans, though, right?"

"Definitely." They smiled at each other, and Reid continued with, "And you can always call me."

"I'll call so much, you'll be sick of hearing from me."

Laughing, Reid said, "I'd like that." They shared another smile, and Reid pulled into the hotel.

Spencer said, "I'd kiss you good-bye, but there might be fans and cameras and I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet."

"No, I understand."

Spencer waited with Reid as the valet called a taxi for him. They didn't say anything, but they kept exchanging glances that were enough to feed Reid's contentment and excitement at the possibility of a relationship. After chaste good-byes, he got into the taxi and was driven away. He couldn't resist one last look back and turned to see Spencer standing waving good-bye.


End file.
